The Chapel's ceiling is roughly 600 square meters, nearly the size of three tennis courts; a monumental task that Michelangelo painted almost entirely by himself.

Visitors to St. Mary's Cathedral in San Francisco are getting an intimate look at one of the world's most iconic artistic masterpieces - without having to travel to Rome.

Perhaps second only in fame to Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa, Michelangelo's magnificent frescoes on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel opened to the public for the first time 500 years ago this ...

Times have changed since then. The Sistine Chapel serves as the seat of the papal conclave since 1878 and has become a popular site for tourists, welcoming millions of visitors every year.